Madventurer.com

Challenge:

Medicine and Healthcare

Destination:

*Peru

Departure Dates From:

01/01/1970

No Availability for 2009 and 2010  

Based around the historic town of Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, Madventurer have been working in Peru for many years. Located high among the spectacular Andes Mountains our projects focus on assisting children and impoverished communities who, despite their harsh living conditions, will always have a big smile for you.

Health reform was initiated in Peru in 1997 in an attempt to improve the availability, affordability and efficiency of the healthcare system.
Peru's healthcare indicators are poor with high levels of infant and maternal mortality. The main objective of the Ministry of Health is to focus on prevention education and reduction of infant and maternal mortality. Our medic placements offer you the chance to experience Peruvian healthcare in both hospitals and rural communities.

Local Payment
USD500 (per 4 weeks or less) is required at the beginning of your placement and is given directly to the hospital. The local kitty payment will be used partly to fund doctors who are mentoring you in the hospital and out-lying provincial areas, but also towards the lecture programme that you will undertake.

The project
Cuzco health centre / Urcos health centre / Ollantaytambo medical centre / Cuzco Regional hospital. You will be placed in all or some of these centers, depending on the length of your stay and preferences. The available project areas include general medicine, emergencies, maternity / post-natal care / child development, health campaigns in rural areas. Most specialist preferences can be catered to in the regional hospital on demand. At least basic conversational Spanish required - contact MAD HQ and we'll let you know about our 20 hour Spanish Course that you can take before you start your Project.

Health Centre in Cuzco city centre. Your placement will involve a selection of the following: post-natal care and child development, maternity, general medicine and emergencies. Twice monthly, staffs go out to poorer nearby villages for health campaigns, e.g. giving out anti-parasitics and second-hand clothes.

Urcos health centre. The town of Urcos, about an hour away from Cuzco is the head of the Quispicanchi province and as such sees quite a large volume of patients from the surrounding towns and villages. The health centre will give you an insight into medicine in semi-rural high-altitude areas of the Andes, offering general medicine and an insight into the treatment of many respiratory disorders typical of the area's climate and poverty levels. You may well also be involved with campaigns and field work in surrounding villages.  Note: During time spent in Urcos Health Centre, accommodation Monday - Thursday inclusive will be in a hotel close to the Health Centre.

Ollantaytambo. This is a semi-rural health centre, located at the start point for the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Here you will have the opportunity to see medical cases typical of small-town Peru in an area somewhat wealthier than the two previous centres. The climate is also very different and thus the medical problems affecting the population will also be distinct.

Cuzco Regional Hospital. Many of the doctors who work here are the best in the field and specialist cases are referred to the RH from a large area around Cuzco, and also from jungle areas to the east of Cuzco. The departments you would spend time in would be based on your personal preferences and interests, and you will work morning shifts with a different doctor each morning.

Your role
You will have the opportunity to gain experience in both hospital and community medicine. Hospital practice will involve you shadowing or assisting doctors and nurses in a variety of departments depending on experience and area of interest. With community medicine you will have the opportunity to accompanying doctors and nurses from the hospital to villages, and towns in rural locations to assist in an outreach programme, delivering medical assistance and health education to those who are too remote or cannot afford to travel to Cuzco for treatment.

Further Links:

• Mad in Peru Blog
• Peru Photos
• Mad Videos
• Full Trip notes
• Feedback from past volunteers
• Weather guide from bbc.co.uk
• Money conversion from oando.com
• InterHealth Pack - Click this link, register and then have access to a comprehensive Health Pack.
• Pre-Departure Form - To be filled in and returned to Mad HQ before you depart